In a statement on his official blog, former MP and now Lord Prescott said he was taking action following a refusal by the police to supply information which related to him, taken from searches of private investigator Glenn Mulcaire's office. Prescott previously told BBC Radio 4 he would give police a week to respond to his request.
Mulcaire was convicted of conspiracy to intercept telephone calls in 2007 along with Clive Goodman, former royal correspondent for the News of the World.
According to Prescott he was later told in 2009 by police that a piece of paper had been found in Mulcaire's office with his name written on it, as well as two invoices for £250 each from News International Supply Company Ltd referring to the name "Prescott".
"These documents had been in the Metropolitan Police's possession since their investigation in 2005/2006 but I was never notified of them or that I was a person of interest to Mulcaire," Prescott said in a statement on his blog.
"I only discovered I might have been after the Guardian published its original investigation on 8 July 2009. In view of their refusal to hand over this information, it is my intention to apply to the administrative court to seek a judicial review of the Metropolitan Police's handling of this case."
Prescott is requesting a declaration from the Metropolitan Police that it violated his rights under Article 8 (respect for private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights and also violated his "legitimate expectation" to be informed.
He will also be requesting a mandatory order that the Metropolitan Police make full disclosure of the information it holds relating to his personal details and information obtained by Goodman, Mulcaire or others. He will also claim for damages, which he says will be given to charity.
"It has always been my intention to discover the truth behind this case and whether the Metropolitan Police fulfilled its duty to follow all the lines of evidence," he added.
"It is my belief they didn't and I hope the judicial review will finally reveal why justice not only wasn't done, but wasn't seen to be done."
The Metropolitan Police, News of the World and News International all declined to comment.
Image courtesy of Steve Punter on Flickr.
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